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Clinical social work in a medical setting
Social Work in Health Care
|January 1, 1984
Summary
Clinical social workers in medical settings help patients and families acknowledge the psychological impact of physical illness. They also guide families in accepting psychogenic origins for symptoms, integrating medical and psychological care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Social Work
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Healthcare Psychology
Background:
- Clinical social workers operate within complex medical environments.
- Patients and families often struggle with the psychological effects of physical ailments.
- Diagnosing and accepting psychogenic symptoms presents unique challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate key functions of medical social workers.
- To explore the role of social workers in addressing psychological impacts of illness.
- To examine the process of accepting psychogenic symptom origins.
Main Methods:
- Case vignette analysis.
- Expert discussion and clinical insights.
- Exploration of barriers and facilitators.
Main Results:
- Social workers facilitate acknowledgment of illness-related psychological distress.
- Social workers assist families in understanding and accepting psychogenic symptomology.
- Barriers to these functions are identified and analyzed.
Conclusions:
- Social workers are crucial in integrating psychological and medical perspectives.
- Their unique position allows for comprehensive treatment planning.
- Effective social work practice enhances patient and family coping in medical settings.